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Popularity of alcohol in B.C. borne out by the numbers By Adrian Nieoczym - Kelowna Capital News - Published: January 01, 2009 Alcohol, it seems, is more popular than ever. According a report by provincial health officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, British Columbians are drinking more than ever, with the highest rate of alcohol consumption to be found within the Interior Health Authority’s catchment area, which includes the Central Okanagan. According to the report, the average person in B.C. over 15 now consumes the equivalent of 8.82 litres of absolute alcohol a year, up eight per cent from 2002. That works out to about 513 beers or glasses of wine per person. In the Interior, an average of 11.1 litres per person is consumed, or about 646 beers or glasses of wine. Kendall attributes the increased consumption to more availability, noting that over 500 new liquor stores have opened in B.C. since 2002. There is no way to really know why more alcohol is consumed in the Interior, according to Lesley Coates, prevention coordinator with Kelowna Alcohol and Drug Services. The data in the report is based on sales, noted Coates, and those figures do not distinguish between alcohol sold to locals and alcohol sold to visitors. “One kind of has to question whether or not the volume of tourists we have here impacts those numbers,” said Coates. “That isn’t to say there aren’t residents in the Interior who drink in a high risk manner, because there are.” Coates said that even though people often don’t think of alcohol as drug, it is the drug which causes the biggest number of social problems because of its availability and social acceptance. “Alcohol is definitely a drug because a drug is essentially anything that changes how your body or mind functions,” she said. “When people consume (alcohol), it’s going to slow down their brain and body functions.” The first drink often induces a warm and fuzzy, sociable feeling, but when someone consumes more, alcohol starts to inhibit coordination and judgment and makes people more uninhibited. Alcohol use can also contribute to problems at work, school, with family or with violence. Here are a few low-risk drinking guidelines from the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C.: • Avoid intoxication. Drink slowly, no more than two drinks in the first hour for men of average weight, while women should stick with one. Afterwards, both men and women should consume only one drink per hour. Combine alcohol with food and non-alcoholic beverages. • Abstain in certain situations, such as when driving, when altertness is important, when using medications or when pregnant, trying to conceive or breast feeding. • Make sure you have non-drinking days and limit your weekly intake to 20 drinks or fewer for men or 10 drinks or fewer for women. A standard drink is defined as one 350 ml bottle of beer (five per cent alcohol), one 150 ml glass of table wine (12 per cent alcohol), or one 50 ml standard cocktail (40 per cent alcohol). For help with alcohol problems, contact the Kelowna Alcohol and Drug Service at 250-870-5777. |
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Ottawa shouldn’t push off drug abuse problem June 04, 2008 - Kelowna Capital News - Opinion Our local MP, Stockwell Day, has used his column this week to inform readers about the rational for the federal government’s appeal of the recent court ruling on Vancouver’s safe injection drug site. While he claims not to be taking sides in presenting only Health Minister Tony Clement’s response to the ruling, it’s his local example of how to deal with the issue of drug abuse that is troubling. Day talks about how the issue is being handled in Merritt, which is part of his Okanagan-Coquihalla constituency. According to Day, the “long arm of the law” is being used, as well as the “open arms of the community.” The federal Conservative government has done plenty to lengthen that long arm of the law with its get-tough-on-crime legislation proposals. But what about helping the “open arms of the community.” In this case it’s time to walk the walk if you’re going to talk the talk. Where is the funding for local programs that he talks about—he uses the Merritt Youth Mural program as a local example. It may or my not have received federal funds. But many local programs do not. It seems this is a case of a politician saying the government will do half the job— the rest is someone else’s problem. |
| Government to appeal court ruling on safe injection site June 04, 2008 - Kelowna Capital News - Opinion Stockwell Day Drug addicts in Vancouver can shoot up while being supervised in North America’s only facility legalized to do that. The In-Site facilty operates with a special legal exemption. The debate has been fierce on whether such a policy is a good thing or not. My column today is not going to get into the debate per se. But I do want to give you, an update on what has occurred this past week. First, a B.C. judge has ruled that drug addicts have a right to a facility like this. His ruling came just before the federal government was to make a decision as to whether this activity should continue. The federal health minister announced this week the government will challenge that ruling with an appeal. For the purpose of reporting to you, I thought the best thing to do was to quote, verbatim, what Tony Clement said was his reason for challenging the court decision. so you can see the federal rationale—whichever side of the argument you are on. Here is what Clement said: “In my opinion, supervised injection is not medicine. It does not heal the person addicted to drugs. Injection not only causes physical harm, it also deepens and prolongs the addiction. Programs to support supervised injection divert valuable dollars away from treatment. Government-sponsored injection sends a very mixed message to young people who are contemplating the use of illegal drugs. The evidence is that Insite’s injection program saves, at best, one life per year. A precious life, yes. I believe we can do better and must. (do better). My job as health minister is to balance that one life against any possible negative effect of supervised injection that might take one life elsewhere.” Meanwhile, back at the ranch right here in our own constituency, a group in Merritt has come up with their own approach to taking preventative and rehabilitive action towards youths with substance abuse issues. It recognizes there is a local problem with young people getting involved in drugs, gangs and related criminal activity. When they approached me on the issue I explained the broad government policy on this problem. We are basically taking a two-pronged approach—the long arm of the law and the open arms of the community. The long arm of the law means a tougher approach to those committing the crimes and more help for the law-abiding citizens who are the victims of those crimes. The open arms of the community refers to our belief that local groups and agencies can play a vital role in putting together prevention programs that can intercept kids at risk before they plunge themselves into destructive behaviours. The Merritt Youth Mural program is such a group. In a unique way it has joined forces with the Merritt Walk of Stars Society to reach out to vulnerable Aboriginal youth and their families. In conjunction with educational and occupational counsellors, the Youth Mural project will help up to 60 at-risk young people. Through a variety of means they will teach the young people about taking responsibility, learning job skills and how to contribute in real and positive ways to the community in which they live. I was able to assist the group in getting federal funds for the program and I look forward with confidence to the future results of kids turned away from drugs and crime. ••• While I’m talking about Merritt, I can’t help but tell you of a special award I received at the annual Merritt Country Music Walk of Stars. I do their fundraising auction for them. The organizers totally surprised me by getting me to do my handprint in cement to be placed in a star alongside the country music greats who have performed there over the years. It was a real honour for me. And since the ‘star’ will be placed on the sidewalk anyone who wants to stomp their feet on me is free to do so. Stockwell Day is the Conservative MP for Okanagan-Coquihalla and Canada’s public safety minister. |
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Not a solution, say Conservatives June 04, 2008 - Kelowna Capital News Heroin and cocaine addicts are ill and entitled to potentially life-saving medical supervision when they inject illegal drugs, a British Columbia Supreme Court judge decided last week in ruling that a controversial Vancouver safe injection site can remain open. Judge Ian Pitfield ruled that the country’s Controlled Drug and Substance Act conflicts with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and also provincial jurisdiction over health care. The decision appeared to give a reprieve to Insite, North America’s only safe injection clinic. Insite’s exemption from the federal drug law was due to expire June 30. Pitfield gave the federal government a year to fix the law so that it no longer conflicts with the principle of medical treatment. But the federal government is not about to give up its fight to rid the country of the clinic. Health Minister Tony Clement announced that the government will appeal the ruling. While health experts, including a panel he appointed, have concluded that Insite saves lives, Clement begs to differ. “In my opinion, supervised injection is not medicine,” he says. “It does not heal the person addicted to drugs.” The safe injection clinic was first opened in September 2003 as a three-year pilot project to reduce the spread of disease and drug overdoses by giving addicts clean needles and medical supervision. Since 2006, it has existed on temporary extensions while the government debated what to do. It now appears the federal government prefers to see Insite as a political football to be kicked out of bounds, to cheers from the core Conservative constituency. |
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